Lake Como road named one of the best summer drive in Europe

The Lake Como coastal road, known as "via Regina", identified as one of the best road for the ultimate summer drive

In car navigation manufacturer TomTom has revealed the best roads for the ultimate summer drive, whilst showing off a unique formula that’s able to identify what makes a great summer driving road.

TomTom worked in partnership with psychologist Dr. David Holmes, who developed a special formula that was able to pick out and identify the 25 best summer drives in Europe.

Dr. Holmes looked at elements of the driving experience that are important to the planning of a summer route, including the number of bends and hills, volume of traffic, type of scenery and even the weather, and combined these with the findings from TomTom’s study of 14,000 drivers from across Europe.

Developed using variables identified in the research, the USD formula will make planning a summer road trip easier than ever:

Stunning views: 70% of drivers indicated that great scenery was the key to a holiday drive but these days the scenery has to be social media friendly. Indeed, some 15% of drivers admitted that photo ready views are vital for success of a road trip and that “perfect selfie”.

A great road: One in four drivers insist that the road itself is a very important factor in a road trip, with gentle bends and two lane roads being very important, not to mention good forward vision and positive camber changes too. Oh, and the less potholes the better of course!

Empty roads: It almost goes without saying that many drivers prefer a near empty road on an epic drive, though of course an occasional passing car can prove at least a little reassuring.

Regular stop off points: Many drivers mentioned the fact that they liked regular stop of points that offer at least basic facilities and fabulous views for photo opportunities. Stop off points help to not only keep the drive interesting, but also keep drivers energy levels up too.

Weather: Clearly a perfect summer drive should feature some lovely weather, with a warm (but not too hot) sunny day with a gentle breeze proving most popular.

Unveiling the Ultimate Summer Drive

The Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway came out top across Europe when mapped against the formula, with its
blend of spectacular views, quality roads and perfect light conditions throughout the summer making it
the Ultimate Driving Experience in Europe.

Portugal’s Estoril Ocean Drive was second, a scenic route that goes from Lisbon to Cascais, always hugging the River Tagus and the busy beaches of the Estoril coast.

The drive round Lake Como was third, an ancient scenic route with stunning views of the lake and mountains, that has enchanted drivers from around the world.

Watch the following Top Gear video to see the beauty, but also the challenges of driving along Lake Como road.